The preferred embodiments relate to network communication systems and more particularly to energy reduction in system nodes.
Various wireless and wireline networks have different nodes that communicate with one another via a network, including example networks such as point-to-point networks and mesh networks. In either example, one node in a network communicates with another node. For the point-to-point descriptor, however, generally a first node communicates directly with a second node, where the second node is the final intended recipient of the communication. For the mesh descriptor, however, a first node may communicate to a second node, which is along the way of one or many nodes that pass along a communication to ultimately reach a destination node that is the final intended recipient of the communication; such passing along is sometimes referred to as hopping and the network a multi-hop network. In any event, such communications are in contrast to multipoint (or broadcast), where a transmitting node communicates simultaneously to multiple different nodes.
Network nodes are now being implemented in numerous forms of sensors/controllers that typically communicate data about some related apparatus and my provide control to that apparatus. For example, narrow band power line communication (PLC) is a low data rate (5 kb/s to 1024 kb/s), communication technology that is specifically designed to be used in smart utility metering applications, automated meter reading, renewable energy communications, lighting control, and communication between electric vehicle and electric vehicle service equipment, among other applications. As another example, IEEE 802.15.4g pertains to the communications technology used in Smart Utility Networks (SUN) for wireless media, and this acts as a complement to the wired NB-PLC technology for Smart Grid communications. As still another example, the Internet Of Things is a developing technology where communication nodes look to be implemented into myriad different applications for purposes of data gathering and device control. Certain of the nodes in these and other applications are, or will be, powered by small batteries and, as such, an ongoing goal is to minimize power consumption so as to sustain the operation of the node as long as possible without requiring the battery to be changed. Thus, various efforts are made in the industry, including in hardware, software, and the like, toward the goal of power efficiency. The preferred embodiments also endeavor to improve the prior art in this regard, as are further detailed below.